Lack of Disparity in Lower Urinary Tract Symptom Severity Between Community-Dwelling Non-Hispanic White, Mexican-American, and African-American Men

Objectives: To determine whether disparities exist in the reporting of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in non-Hispanic white (NHW), Mexican-American (MA), and African-American (AA) men. Methods: Data were collected from a prospective, community-based cohort assembled to study risk factors associated with prostate cancer. Measures included demographics, prostate-specific antigen (PSA), body mass index (BMI), and family history of prostate cancer. Lower urinary tract symptom severity was assessed in 2804 men (1485 NHW, 964 MA, 355 AA) without prostate cancer according to the American Urological Association Symptom Index. Results: No significant difference (P = 0.998) was seen in the prevalence of moderate or severe LUTS in NHW (34%), MA (34%), and AA (33%) men. No differences were found in either obstructive or irritative symptoms among the three groups. Age, PSA level, BMI, and family history did not affect symptom severity. Conclusions: Rates of moderate to severe LUTS symptoms in this cohort were similar to those in other community-based populations of NHW men. Lower rates of moderate or severe symptoms were noted in AA men than previously reported. Mexican-American men had similar degrees of LUTS as the general population, and with their increased risk for diabetes and renal disease, in-depth study of this population is warranted.